ACE Awards 2026

The Association for Church Editors is launching its next awards to celebrate
and recognise the work of church magazine editors and their editorial teams.

Who will be eligible to take part?

  • The 2026 Awards are for any size paper magazine with colour printing.
  • Magazines with just colour printing on the covers and black and white printing inside are acceptable.
  • The Awards are open to all Church Magazines produced by Christian denominations that believe in the Holy Trinity. (i.e. not secular/community magazines).
  • Magazines must be produced at least 4 times each year.

NOTE: We have awards for fully black and white printed magazines, including those with coloured paper covers, on alternate years, so if you’re not eligible this year, please check back next year, or even better join ACE to be kept up to date and get some great ideas for improving your magazine.

2025 Gold Award Winner, Robin Stevens, In Touch magazine, All Saints’ Springfield Parish Church in Chelmsford, Essex

Types of Awards

  • The Gold, Silver and Bronze Award winners will receive an inscribed trophy to keep, together with a Certificate of Excellence, and a year’s subscription to Parish Pump
  • The Gold Award winner will also receive the John King Trophy – a silver baptismal scalop shell, to be held for one year.
  • The winning entry in each of the following categories will receive a Certificate of Excellence:
    • Clarity of the Christian message
    • Cover design
    • Overall layout & structure
    • Headlines
    • Use of graphics
    • Intended readership appeal
  • Entries not selected for one of the main Awards but considered to be of a sufficiently high standard will receive a Certificate of Achievement.

Brett Jordan / Pexels

How to submit your entries:

  • Please send two copies each of two different issues of your magazine produced during the last twelve months.
  • The closing date for entries is Saturday 2nd May 2026.
  • The review process will be based on printed magazines and not electronic/online versions.
  • Please send your four magazines plus the entry form to:

Rev’d Biddy Wigley, 5 Whitegates, Mayals, Swansea, SA3 5HW.

Competition Launch 2026  PDF format

Entry Form 2026 Word document

Entry Form 2026 PDF format

To download the entry form and awards detail documents, either just click them or right-click and select “Save link as”, or similar for your browser, then chose a location to save the files.

It is preferred that the Word version of the entry form is used with typed information, but handwritten is acceptable.

Any further questions?

Please email us at:

We’ll aim to reply within 24-48 hours, but please note that as ACE is volunteer run, replies may take a little longer.

Please note:

The Awards will be presented at our Annual Meeting on Saturday 26th September 2026 at Westminster Central Hall. Further details of the meeting will be published nearer the time, but please save the date and consider joining us as it’s always a fulfilling day to meet fellow editors and hear from some fantastic speakers.